• Diary entry: Write the diary entry in not more than 150 words.
• Role play: Divide the class into groups and ask the students to write the dialogues for
the play.
• Field Trip: Ask the students to complete the activity on page 28.
• Presentation/Website: Ask the students to choose a sanctuary of their choice. They
can complete the work and display the same in class.
• Poster making: Ask the students to complete the activity on page 28.
• Peer and self-assessment: Use Distinguish between and the MCQs on page 29 for
peer and self-assessment.
HOTS
The HOTS question can be discussed in class.
Life skills
Ask the students to read the code of conduct that they have to follow when visiting a
wildlife sanctuary. Ask them why they must do so.
Value-based question
Ask the students to discuss the answers for the value-based question.
Follow-up
• Find out more about Greenpeace and its activities in India. Join an NGO that is working
to save the environment.
Answer key for the exercises in the lesson
Exercises for Summative Assessment
I. Distinguish between:
1. Autotrophs and heterotrophs
Autotrophs
1. Organisms which produce their own food are
called autotrophs.
2. Refers mainly to plants.
3. They are also known as producers.
Heterotrophs
1. Organisms which cannot produce their own
food, but directly or indirectly depend on other
organisms for food are called hetrotrophs.
2. Refers mainly to animals.
3. They are known as consumers
2. Protected forests and reserved forests
Protected forests
1. Protected forests are those forests where all
activities like hunting and grazing are allowed
unless specific orders are issued by the
government.
2. Enjoys protection as is well monitored by the
government.
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Reserved forests
1. Reserved forests are those forests where the
rights to all activities like hunting and grazing are
banned unless specific orders are issued by the
government.
2. Enjoys greater protection than the protected
forests.
3. Natural vegetation and wildlife
Natural vegetation
1. Natural vegetation refers to the plant life that
grows naturally in an area without human
intervention.
2. Some of the forest products are timber, lac,
resins, herbs, nuts, fuel wood, etc.
3. Deforestation can cause land degradation and
loss of habitation for the wildlife of that area.
II. Give reasons.
1. Population growth leads to deforestation.
Increasing population and spiralling demands
for land has led to rapid deforestation all over
the world. Forests are primarily cut down
to clear land for agriculture, industries, for
laying roads, railway lines, etc. People also cut
down trees for firewood and for production
of paper and synthetic fibres. Forests are
also cleared for constructing dams, power
projects and other urban developmental
projects.
2. Conservation of wildlife is important.
Changes in the climatic conditions and
human interferences have caused the loss of
natural habitats for the plants and animals.
Many species have become vulnerable or
endangered and some are on the verge of
extinction due to hunting of animals and
birds. Illegal activities like the poaching of
elephants for their tusks, tigers for their
hide, etc have to be stopped as this can
lead to ecological imbalance. Therefore, it is
important to conserve our wildlife.
IV. Answer the following.
1. Mention the different uses of forests.
Forests play a vital role in the sustenance of
life. They are useful to humans in many ways.
We get products like timber, resins, herbs,
fruits, nuts, gum, fuel wood, etc. from trees
in the forests. Trees produce oxygen which
all living beings need for breathing. They
prevent soil erosion and help conserve soil
which is essential for growing crops. They
act as shelter belts. The roots of trees enable
percolation of water and help increase and
recharge underground water. Also, forests
moderate temperature and provide moisture
through transpiration.
Wildlife
1. Wildlife refers to the animal life found in an area
that has not been tamed or domesticated by
humans.
2. Some of the animal products are hides, fur, ivory,
meat, etc.
3. Large scale poaching and hunting can lead to
extinction of animal species.
2. List the various factors on which vegetation
depends.
The distribution and the type of natural
vegetation depend on various factors
like latitudinal extent, altitude, sunlight,
temperature, type of soil and terrain,
precipitation, rainfall and the gradient or the
slope of the land. But out of all these factors,
the two main factors are temperature and
moisture.
3. Write a note on deforestation. What steps
have the Indian government taken to
conserve forests in India?
Deforestation is the cutting down of trees
to clear the land for agriculture, setting up
industries, laying roads and railway lines, etc.
Deforestation has resulted in soil erosion on
a large scale. It also destroys the wildlife
of an area. To conserve forests, the Indian
government has set up a number of national
parks, wildlife sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries
and biosphere reserves. It has implemented
stringent rules against smuggling timber,
poaching and hunting. The killing of lions,
tigers, deer, great Indian bustards and
peacocks has been banned and is punishable
under law. The government encourages
community forestry, supports tree-planting
programmes, and celebrates‘Vanmahotsav’.
4. How are animals classified?
Wildlife comprises all types of animals like
mammals, reptiles, marsupials, etc. Birds
and insects are also included in wildlife.
Based on their habitat we can classify
animals as terrestrial, aquatic and aerial.
Based on their food habits animals are
classified as herbivores (feed on producers
or plants), carnivores (feed on consumers or
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other animals) and omnivores (feed on both
producers and consumers).
5. What is a biosphere-reserve? Highlight its
importance.
Bio-reserves are specially protected natural
areas. They are set up to protect the
natural vegetation and wildlife of a place
in its pristine form. Bio-reserves are zoned
according to the intensity of human activity
as the core zone, the buffer zone and the
transition zone. The core zone is free from
the intervention of humans. The buffer zone
serves to protect the core zone from harmful
impacts and is used only for forest research.
The transition zone contains areas given over
to traditional agricultural usage and areas
benchmarked for agricultural research.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. b 2. a
c
8. b
3. c
9. a
4. d
10. b
5. b
6. a
7.
Value-based question
• The need to protect and care for the
environment
• The need to be proactive
• The need to accept responsibility for the
conservation of forests and wildlife
Answer key for the worksheet
I. 1. national park 2. core zone, buffer zone,
transition zone
II. 1. c
2. a
3. a and b
4. a
5. c
III. 1. False 2. True 3. False 4. True
5. True
IV. 1. An increase in the population of a country
means there is s greater demand for land. So
forest areas are cut to build townships, lay
roads and railway tracks. Land is also cleared
to build industries. All these activities lead to
deforestation.
2. Natural vegetation provides humans with
many products such as timber, lac and gum.
They produce the much need oxygen which
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all living things need for breathing. They
moderate the temperature of the place and
are essential for growing crops.
3. The convention ensures that international
trade in wild animals and plant species does
not threaten their survival. About 5000
animal species and 25000 plant species are
protected. The convention has a list where
several species of animals and birds whose
trade is prohibited. The convention has
made an international agreement between
countries.